


I forgive you

by flowing_river



Category: Marvel Cinematic Universe
Genre: Alternate Universe - Canon Divergence, Arc Reactor, Bucky Barnes Needs a Hug, Bucky Barnes Recovering, Bucky Barnes's Metal Arm, But not in a good way, Civil War Team Iron Man, Fluff, Fluff and Angst, Getting Together, Insecurity, M/M, Mutual Pining, Not Steve Friendly, Post-Captain America: Civil War (Movie), Protective Steve Rogers, Scars, Tony Stark Does What He Wants, Tony Stark Has A Heart, Tony Stark Needs a Hug, not team Cap friendly
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2021-01-31
Updated: 2021-01-31
Packaged: 2021-03-18 05:02:03
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,605
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/29112732
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/flowing_river/pseuds/flowing_river
Summary: Post ca:cw James and Tony find themselves growing closer to each other.
Relationships: James "Bucky" Barnes/Tony Stark
Comments: 18
Kudos: 219
Collections: Winteriron Winter Stockings 2020





	I forgive you

**Author's Note:**

  * For [ali_aliska](https://archiveofourown.org/users/ali_aliska/gifts).
  * In response to a prompt by [ali_aliska](https://archiveofourown.org/users/ali_aliska/pseuds/ali_aliska) in the [winteriron_winter_stockings_2020](https://archiveofourown.org/collections/winteriron_winter_stockings_2020) collection. 



> I choose to write "Insecure about their scars" with a bit of "Distracted by each other (Tony's pretty eyes? Bucky's murder strut?)" mixed in, hope you enjoy!
> 
> Check the tags and reminder that this is **Team Iron Man**
> 
> Thanks so much worstloki for betaing for me!

Despite what other people say, Tony doesn’t think he’s attractive, at least not post-Afghanistan. He’s always had small scars since he was young and working on various projects, but Afghanistan changed that.

The arc reactor surgery wasn’t exactly done with the best medical equipment and it had left all sorts of scars all over his chest. And fighting the various bad guys he had gone toe to toe with have definitely left their marks.

Afghanistan truly had changed him, not just with the addition of the reactor in his chest, but it opened his eyes to Stane using his weapons to hurt innocents; He had truly become a better person after everything he went through.

But, sadly, the Avengers had never seen that. They had only seen his past and never tried to get to know him. Everyone else’s pasts had been excused. Except for his.

And he hadn’t even noticed. He’d let them walk all over him, using his money and his resources for their own advantages.

And their betrayal in the ‘civil war’ (as it’s called by the media) left even more scars on him, the biggest being the scar that goes down his chest caused by the shield.

The Ex-vengers (another media term) might have been officially pardoned under the threat of more alien attacks, but Tony would never trust them again. They were the UN’s problem to house and feed and to put up with all the complaints now.

The only time he sees them is for training, during fights, or when he goes to help with James’ arm.

He hadn’t planned to be involved at all with the arm, but a glance at the blueprint had given him a dozen new ideas and ways to improve it. He couldn’t resist suggesting the ideas and the next thing he knew he was personally working on creating the new one.

Of course, that meant spending time around James (it was  _ his  _ arm after all). At first it was extremely awkward, and they only spoke when necessary, but slowly they warmed up to each other, (along with some assistance from their therapists) and now Tony can call James a close friend.

It helps that James doesn’t seem to like Rogers too much. He’s grateful that Rogers helped break him out of the brainwashing temporarily, but everything after that only made him upset when he found out.

And Rogers' constant insistence about “Bucky” being back bothers him. Tony has seen his eye twitch and his hand move closer to his knife whenever Rogers brings it up.

After 70 years of being the Winter Soldier, James is a completely different person than Bucky Barnes of the 40s.

James describes his old memories as like an old movie seen decades back. He has the memories, but they’re very faded at this point. James is a different person from Bucky in the 40s. And everyone knows that, except Rogers.

Rogers always is hovering around James, like he needs constant protection. Especially when James is getting his arm fixed.

Tony has gotten really good at ignoring the glares from him whenever he flirts with James. Everyone who knows him,  _ knows _ he flirts like he breathes, so once he became friends with James, he couldn’t help but start flirting.

The fact that James is quite good looking only makes it easier. The smile James gives him is enough to make his day and the day James started flirting back Tony had blue-screened. 

It quickly dissolved into a competition of flirting with one another and it was so worth the glares from Rogers to see James’ smile and hear his russian accent.

But all the leather James still choses to wear, the weapons he carries on him, his murder strut are  _ very _ distracting.

He often catches himself staring at James’ backside (and has caught James staring at his as well). Of course, the tight jeans Tony chooses to wear after this discovery is irrelevant to this no matter what Pepper and Rhodey say.

They have teased him about the fact that he hasn’t asked James out yet. He really wants to, he has seen the way James looks at him and felt how the air grows heavy between them, sometimes enough that they’re going to kiss right there...But Rogers always interrupts their moments. 

At this point he would even kiss James in front of Rogers if only he didn’t want to have a repeat of Siberia. 

Then one day James shows up for arm maintenance alone.

“Where’s your patriotic shadow?” Tony asks, moving some things aside so James can sit and put his arm on the table.

“The witch got mysteriously locked in her room,” James says, pulling out his knife to twirl it around in his hand, “He’s trying to open the door.”

Tony finds his eyes glued on James until he clears his throat.

“My eyes are up here, котенок,” James says, smirking.

Tony mocks offense, “I’m not a kitten!”

“Whatever you say, котенок,” James says, winking at him.

Tony can’t help the small smile he gives James.

“So what are we doing today,” James asks, (sadly) putting the knife away.

“I have to do some scans...but you’ll have to take off your shirt,” he says.

Normally he would be very excited to have an excuse to let James take off his shirt, but he knows James is uncomfortable with that which is why he never asked him to do it before. 

It did cause him to struggle a bit with James’ sleeve, but he could cope with it and understood not wanting to expose himself like that

As expected, James goes tense and doesn’t even make a joke about him trying to get his shirt off.

“Do I have to?” James asks in a soft voice.

“You don’t have to do anything you don’t want to. But I won’t be able to get proper scans and figure out what’s wrong with the arm.”

“I thought you had the most advanced technology?”

“I do, but your arm is protected very well. Even the thinnest fabric will disrupt the scans.”

“It’s not pretty,” James says with a sigh.

“What isn’t?”

“The scars…on my shoulder,” James says after some hesitation.

_ Oh. _

Tony didn’t even hesitate before pulling off his own shirt and the light dampening shirt he had on underneath his t-shirt (he wasn’t going to give anyone any more leverage over him).

Tony manages to look at James’ face to see an expression he can’t read.

“That powers your suit, doesn’t it? But why is it in your chest?” James asks, horrified.

“Afghanistan. I had shrapnel in my chest and they needed to stop it from reaching my heart. I use a separate one for the suit, best not to depend on one power source,” Tony says, “It was okay in Siberia if that’s what you look guilty about.”

Well Rhodey and Pepper wouldn’t agree with his definition of ‘okay,’ but sometimes the truth had to be stretched.

Tony just hopes that James doesn’t realize that the scar caused by Roger’s shield pretty much meant the reactor must have been harmed in some sort of way.

“Why would you show me this?” James asks, “I could hurt you with this knowledge.”

“You won’t. I trust you. And you’re not the only one with scars. There’s nothing wrong with them,” Tony says.

Well, there’s nothing wrong with James’ scars at least. Tony doesn’t even need to see them to know that. 

“Why does it sound like you don’t believe that?” James asks him.

“Well there’s nothing wrong with your scars, you did nothing to deserve them,” Tony says.

“And you did?”

Tony says nothing.

James stands up and pulls off his shirt as well. Tony’s eyes are drawn to his perfect body first and then to the scars around his shoulder. 

His look more like surgical scars than Tony’s, probably because HYDRA had actual (sadistic) doctors with  _ proper  _ medical equipment.

James comes to stand in front of him and (giving him time to step away) traces one of his scars with his finger.

“You didn’t deserve any of this,” James says, “No matter what you did.”

Tony blinks away the tears that come to his eyes.

“You didn’t deserve it either. And you were so strong to have survived.”

Tony knows this isn’t something both of them can accept right away. It’s hard to truly believe it after everything they’ve been through. 

But he’ll keep reminding James until he truly believes it. And he knows James would do that same for him.

“So how about some dinner at my place? After I fix up the arm,” Tony asks.

“Are you asking me out, котенок?” James asks.

“Yes, and I’m not a kitten, Snowflake,” Tony says, “So dinner?”

“I would love dinner,” James says, leaning forward to rest his forehead on Tony’s, interlacing their fingers together, “At eight?”

“Eight works,” Tony says, stepping back after a few minutes, “Now sit down so I can fix your arm.”

James sits down and smiles at him. Tony can’t wait for dinner already. And to find out how James is going to get rid of Rogers for the evening.

But for now he needs to fix James’ arm. And put his shirt back on before Rogers shows up. He laughs, imagining Rogers' reaction if he stays shirtless.

“What are you giggling about?” James asks.

“I’m not  _ giggling, _ ” Tony says, “I don’t  _ giggle. _

And before Tony can explain, Rogers walks into the room and freezes at the sight of both of them shirtless and laughing.

“WHAT is goiNG on HERE?” Steve shrieks. 

**Author's Note:**

> Let me know what you think!!!


End file.
